”20,000 people who were ready to leave everything behind, in a challenging period of global turmoil, to come build a new life in Israel,” said Isaac Herzog, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency,

2020 also saw increased demand for Aliyah and internship programs, emergency aid for Jewish communities in crisis due to COVID-19, assistance to vulnerable populations in Israel, a first-of-its-kind Jewish emergency network, and more.

Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, around 20,000 individuals made aliyah (immigrated to Israel) from nearly 70 countries in 2020, The Jewish Agency for Israel reported.

According to figures from The Jewish Agency, by the end of December, approximately 20,000 olim (immigrants) will have arrived in Israel from all corners of the globe despite the limitations on mobility and international travel, with assistance from the Ministry of Aliyah and Integration and the Ministry of Interior.

Data tabulated by The Jewish Agency showed that from January – November of this year, around 10,200 arrived from countries of the former Soviet Union; approximately 3,120 from Western Europe (about 2,220 from France – nearly the same number as in 2019); around 2,850 from North America (roughly 2,550 from the United States, according to Jewish Agency data in coordination with Nefesh B’Nefesh); about 1,500 from Latin America; around 280 from South Africa; and nearly 90 from Australia and New Zealand.

The total number of olim from Ethiopia in 2020 is expected to be 1,200, of which 650 arrived in December as part of Operation Zur Israel and another 300 olim who will land on the last day of the year.

“A wonderful thing happened to us – 20,000 Jews immigrated to the State of Israel during this pandemic year. 20,000 people who were ready to leave everything behind, in a challenging period of global turmoil, to come build a new life in Israel,” said Isaac Herzog, Chairman of the Executive of The Jewish Agency, in a meeting with children who immigrated to Israel during the pandemic from all over the world.

The Aliyah numbers for the year coincided with a sharp increase in people interested in moving to Israel. Since the start of the year, The Jewish Agency has received around 160,000 inquiries about immigration to Israel, and has opened roughly 41,000 new Aliyah application files, including 28,000 files from Western countries – twice the number opened in 2019. There was also a 41 percent increase in files opened for young adults aged 18-35 from Western countries.

According to Jewish Agency estimates, Israel can expect an influx of about 250,000 olim to Israel over the next three to five years, assuming the Israeli government implements a national plan for such a large wave of immigration and absorption.

“These olim landed straight into two weeks of isolation in a new country, unknown to everyone. There is nothing more exciting than seeing these wonderful children who made Aliyah during this difficult year. I hope COVID-19 will soon be over for them and their friends, that we will see the great wave of immigration that we are anticipating from all over the world, and that all the new olim will have a smooth integration and be received with much love,” added Chairman Herzog.